- Google staff resign in backlash over its AI contracts with military
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Google is facing a backlash from some staff members over the company’s deployment of its AI technology for military use. The BBC has spoken to several tech workers who have either recently resigned from Google’s AI company, Google DeepMind, or are in the process of leaving, over concerns with the tech firm’s military contracts. Sofia Liguori, a London-based research engineer, is one of them. She resigned from Google DeepMind this week and spoke about her concerns exclusively with the BBC, despite her contract restricting her from doing so. ‘Realising my company is pushing more and more for AI systems in military operations makes me feel ashamed to work at Google,’ Liguori said, speaking in a personal capacity.” (10/21/26)
- Russia: Regime frees American Stephen Hubbard after over four years in prison, during a visit by US envoy
Source: Associated Press
“Russia on Wednesday freed an American who had been jailed for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, in a deal completed during a visit by a top U.S. envoy and at a time when President Donald Trump has taken a series of actions meant to benefit Moscow. … Hubbard was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison following a closed trial. Prosecutors said he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and that he fought alongside Kyiv’s forces until being captured two months later. The U.S. government under the Biden administration designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained.” (10/21/26)
- Macron accuses Trump and other foreign leaders of “stupid comments” about France unrest
Source: The Guardian
“Emmanuel Macron has accused Donald Trump and other foreign leaders of making ‘stupid comments’ about France’s street unrest for political gain, as the country prepared for more protests this weekend. Speaking during a visit to Qatar, the French president did not name names but said ‘manipulation of information’ after Saturday’s riots had led to ‘comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders. Asked if he was referring to Donald Trump, Macron replied: ‘Among others.’” (10/21/26)
- Polymarket removes bets on outcome of Cornell sexual assault case
Source: CBS News
“The online predictions market platform Polymarket has removed a contract that allowed users to bet on whether any of the seven men accused of sexually assaulting or exploiting a Cornell student in 2024 will be charged with a felony sex crime. More than $450,000 had been wagered on this question before it was taken off Polymarket’s platform. It had been available since Sept. 30 and was slated to close on Jan. 31. The company’s U.S. exchange is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which bans trading related to ‘activity that is unlawful under Federal or State law.’ … Online critics characterized the Polymarket contract as degrading and questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the company.” (10/21/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/polymarket-cornell-7-sexual-assault-bets/
- Critical vulnerabilities in commonly used web code spark rush to update systems
Source: NBC News
“Crucial vulnerabilities in a programming language that underpins much of the internet are so severe that U.S., European and British authorities have recommended websites temporarily go offline until they can be fixed. The flaws are in PHP, a little-known but crucial programming language which powers how web servers process code. The security team that maintains PHP released patches to fix the problem around 10 a.m. ET. But several websites were temporarily down as of Wednesday morning, citing fear that hackers could take them over. They included Pinboard, a bookmarking site and some parts of Wikipedia. Two massive but largely unmoderated forum sites, 4Chan and Something Awful, both went offline to wait for a patch.” (10/21/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/critical-vulnerabilities-php-update-systems-rcna604751
- Liechtenstein: Prince vetoes abortion bill
Source: Politico
“Liechtenstein’s Hereditary Prince Alois vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have legalized abortion during the first 12 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, blocking a citizens’ initiative co-signed by a quarter of voters and passed in the micro-state’s parliament. Performing an abortion is currently illegal in the principality, unless the pregnancy presents a severe risk to the pregnant woman’s health or if it is the result of a sexual assault. Women seeking an abortion usually travel to clinics in neighboring Austria or Switzerland, which campaigners say adds uncertainty and an unnecessary financial hurdle to the process. … The bill ‘is not suitable for adequately protecting unborn life as a central legal interest,’ a statement from the princely house reads. Alois had already indicated in June he would veto the proposal on these grounds.” (10/21/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/liechtenstein-prince-vetoes-abortion-bill/
- DOJ watchdog declines to investigate handling of Reflecting Pool case
Source: SFGate
“The Department of Justice’s inspector general has declined to investigate the handling of the criminal case against a former Olympian cleared of accusations that he intentionally damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to a letter Wednesday from the man’s lawyers. The internal watchdog told David Hearn’s lawyers that the allegations of professional misconduct that they made fall outside its jurisdiction and are instead within the purview of the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, according to the letter, which urges Inspector General Don R. Berthiaume to reconsider the decision. ‘Given the substantial public attention devoted to this matter, and the significant questions raised concerning the conduct of federal officials, declining independent review would risk undermining public confidence in the Department’s ability to police its own conduct. Such a result would be inconsistent with the purposes for which Congress established the OIG and would be a betrayal of its mission,’ the letter says.” (10/21/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/justice-department-watchdog-declines-to-22486976.php
- Australia: MP loses both legs in vehicle attack as suspect appears in court
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines has had both of her legs amputated after being rammed by a car outside her electoral office, her husband said, as the suspected attacker appeared in court. Doctors amputated the MP’s left leg after an attacker hit her twice with his car in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, on Monday, Phil Haines said. They tried to save her right leg but failed to do so, he told a news conference on Wednesday. … The suspect in the attack, revealed to be a 43-year-old man called Brendan Nugent, made a brief court appearance on Wednesday. … The suspect’s lawyer said he has a rare neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and is also recovering from a concussion, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.” (10/21/26)
- Russia: Regime says it is ready to resume talks with Ukraine and US to end war
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Russia is ‘ready in principle’ to resume talks with the US and Ukraine on ending the conflict, Vladimir Putin’s top aide has said. Yuri Ushakov was speaking after Putin met US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Russian city of St Petersburg. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies have been pressing Moscow for an immediate resumption of the talks suspended in February, and Ushakov said a new round could be held next month. Russia has for months refused talks as it believes it is winning on the battlefield with Ukraine facing an acute shortage of interceptors against deadly Russian missile attacks. Witkoff went to St Petersburg after meeting Zelensky as well as the leaders of Norway and Finland in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on Monday.” (10/21/26)
- Musk chose to restrict Ukraine’s access to SpaceX satellite network, sources say
Source: CBS News
“A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News. The satellite service, which is used for drone operations, hitting certain targets and protecting sites in Ukraine, was slowed significantly last week. Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order, the sources said. He wanted clarity on the president’s thinking on the matter. Musk has expressed distaste with his company being seen as profiting from the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. It’s not clear how Musk’s order to curtail service was executed.” (10/20/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-ukraine-spacex-starshield-trump-administration/
- The (Hopefully Temporary) Decline and (Hopefully Not) Fall of the Annual Fundraiser
Hey, everyone …
Yesterday was a “zero-dollar day” in our annual fundraiser. We’re stuck, as of 5am, at $1,003 — 36% of the way to our $5,503 goal (once we’ve raised $2,751.50, supporter GL will “match funds” for the second half).
None of this “we’ll have to shut our doors if you don’t smash that donate button” stuff. We’ve been at this for nearly a quarter century as RRND and for more than 30 years as Freedom News Daily and Libernet before that. We plan to keep on going.
On the other hand, we gotta eat, and this is the one time of the year when we lean on you about that. The big prize for getting across the finish line is that I’ll stop badgering you about money completely for the rest of 2026, and mostly for the first nine months of 2027.
So:
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
And have a great day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - Trump envoy Witkoff to meet Putin in St. Petersburg for Ukraine war talks
Source: The Hill
“U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes Kyiv to make a deal that stops the fighting. The visit came a day after Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and some European leaders in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. … Russia and Ukraine are still far apart in their terms for a settlement, as their armies remain locked on the battlefield and they pummel each other with daily long-range strikes.” (10/21/26)
- Bitcoin rebounds to $83k as Strong Earnings Lift US Stocks
Sourc: CoinCentral
“Bitcoin (BTC) returned to $83,000 after the Wall Street open on Tuesday. US stocks gained on strong earnings reports. BTC rose as much as 1.5%, its highest level since October 14. It then dropped back toward $82,000. General Motors and 3M both beat Q3 earnings expectations. 3M also raised its profit forecast. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.2%, reaching levels last seen on September 14. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were up 0.6% and 0.5%. Oil prices moved sharply during the session. US WTI crude passed $100 a barrel for the first time since September 17, then fell below $96.” (10/21/26)
https://coincentral.com/bitcoin-btc-price-rebounds-to-83k-as-strong-earnings-lift-us-stocks/
- AL: Ivey spares death row inmate, citing doubts about evidence
Source: NBC News
“Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of a death row inmate after a number of former public officials, and the current district attorney, raised doubts about his conviction. The Republican governor said she was commuting Toforest Johnson’s death sentence to life in prison without parole. Johnson was convicted of the 1995 murder of Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff William Hardy. Johnson has long maintained he is innocent. … Hardy was shot twice in the head while working off-duty security at a hotel. Johnson has maintained he was on the other side of town at the time of the shooting. … The key prosecution witness at Johnson’s 1998 trial testified that, while eavesdropping on a phone call, she heard a man she believed was Johnson admitting to the crime. She was paid $5,000 in 2001 for her testimony, and Johnson’s lawyers argue that the state withheld evidence of monetary motivation for the testimony.” (10/20/26)
- UK: Regime to deploy fighter jets to support Saudi regime against Houthi attacks
Source: CNN
“The United Kingdom said Tuesday it will deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels [sic] in Yemen. The UK will fly ‘defensive counter-air missions’ using Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Over the past month, the Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, launching ballistic missiles and drones at key infrastructure, including oil facilities and airports. The UK is already providing air-to-air refueling support to Saudi Arabia and has deployed air defense equipment and British personnel to help protect the kingdom, a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office told reporters.” [editor’s note: No mention of the fact that the Saudi terror regime is waging a war of aggression against Yemen – TLK] (10/20/26)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/20/middleeast/uk-military-saudi-arabia-yemen-houthis-intl
- FL: Regime attorneys threaten TV stations with criminal charges for running true ad
Source: Tampa Bay Times
“State attorneys are warning Florida television stations that broadcasters could be committing crimes by airing campaign ads about a grand jury’s investigation into Hope Florida. Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Suzy Lopez sent letters to several television stations around Tampa Bay on Friday, hours before a Republican Party of Florida lawsuit about the ads was filed in court. … State Attorney Brian Haas of the 10th Judicial Circuit in Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties sent an identical letter to TV stations in his area on the same day, a record shows. … A judge on Tuesday called for a hearing but declined to immediately stop the ads as the Republican Party of Florida requested.” (10/20/26)
- Trump Scrambles To Block Jack Smith Testimony as Frivolous $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit Backfires
Source: International Business Times
“Donald Trump faces mounting pressure in his $10 billion (£7.5 billion) legal battle against the BBC, as a judge threatens sanctions over his deposition dispute and the broadcaster seeks testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith. The president is suing the British Broadcasting Corporation over a documentary that he claims deceptively edited his 6 January 2021 speech to suggest he incited the Capitol riot. But the BBC is fighting back, demanding evidence to challenge Trump’s allegations while opposing his efforts to block Smith’s testimony. … US Magistrate Judge Enjolique A. Lett warned on 16 October that Trump could face sanctions if he continued to fail to comply with the court’s orders regarding his deposition. … The BBC says it had sought dates for Trump’s deposition since July. The two sides eventually agreed on 16 October, but Trump’s lawyers later said he was unavailable because of ‘other matters of national importance’.” (10/20/26)
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trump-faces-sanctions-bbc-legal-battle-1826732
- Romania: Political crisis gets six-month truce as new regime formed
Source: Politico
“Romania ended five months of political paralysis Tuesday with its parliament voting in Luca Niculescu as prime minister after three failed attempts to form a government — but the deal comes with a six-month deadline for the parties to strike a more lasting agreement. The threat of snap elections, which would likely see the populist right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party surge, helped push the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) and the center-left Social Democrats (PSD) to agree on a government led by independent Niculescu, a former journalist and diplomat who was nominated as prime minister by moderate President Nicușor Dan earlier this month. The socialists will join the cabinet, but the liberals will stay out.” (10/20/26)
- Google Cloud outages hit British banks, logistics businesses
Source: United Press International
“Financial institutions based in the United Kingdom reported widespread disruption of their online services Tuesday after Google outages hit a significant portion of its Cloud services. … The BBC said it was unclear if all the firms were Google Cloud services clients, meaning problems experienced on Tuesday may have had a different origin.” (10/20/26)
- China: Regime creates state-owned firm in Xiongan to develop AI data resources
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“China has set up a new state-owned enterprise dedicated to managing the country’s massive data resources, a significant move designed to turbocharge the nation’s artificial intelligence industry and bolster its digital economy. The National Data Group Co – based in China’s ‘city of the future’, Xiongan New Area in northern Hebei province – is tasked with ‘developing and utilising data resources, unlocking the value of data elements, serving AI development and fostering a data industry ecosystem’, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.” (10/20/26)
- Cornell Faculty Completes Self-Study, Decides to Take No Action on Their Own Ideological Bias
Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley“Cornell University has long been an example of an academic echo chamber where conservative and libertarian faculty have been largely purged from departmental ranks. For example, a study by The College Fix found that Democrats outnumber Republicans 98 to 1 among Cornell professors across six of the humanities departments. Cornell professors disrupt events, launch campaigns to fire the remaining conservative faculty, and foster a cancel campaign culture on campus. However, the faculty recently decided to review its own record and found … wait for it! … that there really are no concrete measures needed to address their own overwhelming ideological bias. According to a 238-page faculty report from the Committee on the Future of the American University, there was no consensus on ideological bias or how to handle it.” (10/21/26)
- Best Practices for a Last Best Hope
Source: Law & Liberty
by Michael B Poliakoff“The number of civic institutes, centers, and schools at public universities has increased significantly since the first one, the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University, emerged in 2017. Beginning in 2021, nineteen new centers and institutes have been established. Although many institutions have launched initiatives to enhance civic education, here I focus on the phenomenon of centers independent of any existing academic department but which are established by legislative or trustee action.” (10/21/26)
- Evidence of a Russian “hybrid war” in Europe is vanishingly thin
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Thomas Fazi“These days, barely a week goes by in Europe without a drone sighting, a fire or a power outage being blamed on Russia. We’re told that these incidents are all part of a relentless, and escalating, ‘hybrid war’ that Moscow is waging against the continent. Tensions escalated dramatically last month after Germany formally attributed to Moscow a ‘failed’ drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport. But does the evidence support Western claims that Russia is engaged in a systematic hybrid war against Europe?” (10/21/26)
- Three Big Lessons from the Oregon School Shooting
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“Lesson One: Gun-control laws do not stop people who are determined to commit murder. … Lesson Two: Concealed-carry laws protect people. … Lesson Three: This lesson will be the controversial one, especially for people who worship, admire, and adore the U.S. national-security establishment and its policy of foreign interventionism.” (10/21/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/10/21/three-big-lessons-from-the-oregon-school-shooting/
- Misunderstanding the free part of free markets
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall“One meaning of the free part of free markets is that the market is free to enter. Anyone, with whatever idea, is free to set up shop and try it out. This is what is being misunderstood here: ‘In a move nobody outside of boardrooms asked for, Target has become the first fashion retailer in Australia to make its products available to order via the Uber Eats app as of September. …’ Technology changes over time. There is always some new set of possibilities among the things that can be done therefore. We don’t know whether people would like those new things done. The only way we’ve got of finding out is to do the new thing then see. No, just asking people doesn’t work, there’s always a difference between expressed and revealed preferences. This is, in the jargon, the function of the entrepreneur.” (10/21/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/misunderstanding-the-free-part-of-free-markets
- How the Federal Budget Gets Made
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by David Hebert“This explainer will lay out the federal budget relay race process that takes a proposed spending plan from a wishlist to an actual check while operating under rules designed to keep total spending in line.” (10/21/26)
- Trump Is Right to Lift Diesel Sanctions on Russia. He Should Go Further
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe“As some have pointed out, the size of the diesel export agreed to in this supposed deal, and the scale of the sanctions that are being waived, are really quite small. This move is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on the pain Americans are feeling because of the artificially high diesel prices or change Russia’s posture in the war. But the waiver is interesting for a different reason. Because it is, in many ways, an admission that those of us who oppose Washington’s reflexive use of economic sanctions are right. It is remarkably well-documented that sanctions are atrociously bad at doing what we’re told they’re supposed to do—weaken and delegitimize a regime in the eyes of their domestic population to the point where they’re either overthrown or forced to change course by their revolting citizens.” (10/21/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/trump-right-lift-diesel-sanctions-russia-he-should-go-further
- In the home of the Arab Spring, democracy’s looking better
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“In Oct. 17, the North African nation of Tunisia saw one of its largest protests in years. In the capital, Tunis, thousands of demonstrators chanted slogans like ‘The people above all else’ and ‘Work, freedom, national dignity’ – despite fears of being arrested. In recent years worldwide, such anti-government protests have surged. So why should this one stand out? Because Tunisia was the spark for the Arab Spring of 2011. … Tunisia was also the most successful Arab country to plant a democracy after 2011. That is, until 2021-2022, when a duly elected president, Kais Saied, took advantage of public frustrations over economic opportunities and canceled much of democracy, including an independent judiciary. Many democratic activists now sit in prison.” (10/20/26)
- Douglass and the betrayal of freedom
Source: Expression
by Jacob Mchangama“The Emancipation Proclamation, the defeat of the Confederacy and the adoption of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments prohibiting slavery and promising equal protection and the right to vote for the recently emancipated Black population seemed to fulfill Douglass’ life’s mission as an abolitionist and human rights defender. Yet over the following decades, Douglass’[s] joy at emancipation was mixed with bitter disappointment at the stark contrast between the fine principles enshrined in these documents and their practical nullification through oppressive laws, racist terror and mob action in the South.” (10/21/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/douglass-and-the-betrayal-of-freedom
- Mr. President, Don’t Strike Yemen
Source: Antiwar.com
by Nolan Denaro“In his moment of peril, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seeking assistance. Pakistan has pledged to militarily support the Saudis, citing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. France has also committed assets to Saudi Arabia, with President Emmanuel Macron saying that ‘Soldiers, radars, defense systems’ will be used to defend Saudi energy infrastructure. Egypt’s National Defense Council – led by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi – has announced that they plan to use ‘all possible forms of support’ to help the Saudis. … MBS has also been relentless in his push for direct U.S. military involvement. In September, he called President Donald Trump multiple times to request that he assist the Saudis, specifically that he order the U.S. military to engage in direct strikes against Houthi forces. … Despite the bluster coming from those advocating for intervention, a move to engage in strikes on Yemen would be a dreadful mistake.” (10/21/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/nolan_denaro/2026/10/20/mr-president-dont-strike-yemen
- Why does Trump keep making Putin’s war easier?
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jonah Goldberg“There is an enormous difference between the United States declining to provide additional military assistance to a country fighting for its survival and deliberately interfering with its ability to defend itself. The disruption fits a broader pattern of Trump administration decisions that have constrained Ukraine while offering concessions to Russia.” (10/21/26)
- A Western Civ Speech Only A Neocon Could Love
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Charles Goyette“The liberal tradition that is central to Western civilization sees the individual as the bearer of rights, the locus in which conscience manifests itself. It is in the individual that freedom is experienced. Yet these jewels in the crown of Western civilization were crowded out by the speech’s undisguised imperial core: national power, relentless ambition, adventure, risk and glory, skyrocketing defense spending, historic defense commitments. Nor did the sweep of [Marco Rubio’s] survey acknowledge that the failure of the West’s will to survive is an inevitable and sorrowful compensation for the vitality drained by its imperial overextension.” (10/21/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/a-western-civ-speech-only-a-neocon-could-love/
- Trump’s Budget Fantasy
Source: The Atlantic
by David Frum“‘BALANCED BUDGET!!! DJT’ Donald Trump posted that promise on February 7, 2025, the 18th day of his current presidential term. During the 2024 campaign, he had promised even more: the elimination of the entire national debt in a single term of office. Trump insisted that he could reach his budget goals without disagreeable spending cuts. … Instead, he proposed eliminating deficits and debt with magic money from growth, from crypto, and—above all—from tariffs. Tariffs would generate so much revenue that they might replace the income tax, maybe even finance a $2,000 dividend for every American taxpayer.
Basic budget math contradicted Trump’s fantasies.” (10/21/26) - Accountability Is All That Matters Now
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Steven Kritz“In recent months, there’s been a torrent of document releases that prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the scope of the atrocities committed in the name of the Covid response by the public health establishment. As someone who has been submitting articles to Brownstone Journal covering this subject for more than 3 years (20 have been published), it has been suggested that I once again bring my perspective into the arena regarding these recent revelations. Frankly, I have felt no such calling. Why is that? For me, it’s a matter of been there; done that! … I’ve reached the point where the only thing I care about is accountability. Without it, these atrocities will keep happening.” (10/21/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/accountability-is-all-that-matters-now/
- “Cornell 7” legal circus reveals #MeToo’s unjust double standards
Source: New York Post
by Betsy McCaughey“The civil case against seven Cornell fraternity men was a media spectacle from Day 1, thanks to the shrewd actions of the accuser’s attorneys — and the circus is only getting crazier. That means a near-zero chance of fairness for the accused when the case goes to trial, unless the court shuts down the theatrics pronto. The lawsuit springing from the actions of eight college kids boasts an all-star cast of legal titans: Thomas Giuffra, who’s lawyering for the female accuser, has raked in millions representing women who accused Harvey Weinstein and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault. Mark Geragos, who has represented Combs, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Hunter Biden, is appearing on TMZ, acting as what Giuffra calls a ‘shadow member’ of Doe’s team. These big-shot lawyers are on the case because deep-pocketed Cornell University is also one of the defendants.” (10/20/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/10/20/opinion/cornell-7-legal-circus-reveals-metoos-unjust-double-standards/
- Grizzly recovery is working. A new rule would help keep it that way.
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by staff“A newly proposed federal rule changes how grizzly bears are managed under the Endangered Species Act and creates a smarter path for long-term recovery. The proposed tiered 4(d) rule rewards conservation success with greater state management flexibility, while keeping federal protections in place if populations decline. It’s a practical, science-driven approach that recognizes what recovery looks like on the ground.” (10/20/26)
- Against Against Handover
Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander“The latest bugbear is ‘AI successionism’, the belief that AIs should succeed humans as rulers of Earth. But some critiques fail to distinguish between two different ideas. True successionism says that AIs should take over, killing humans or steamrolling over their interests. This is very bad: a compact description of the thing that AI safety is against. Handoverism says that humans should prioritize their own interests, but that those interests may be well-served by having aligned AIs in positions of control. Some people in AI safety, including me, find this latter position plausible.” (10/20/26)
- Disordered Institutions Make Disordered Publics
Source: Liberal Currents
by Samantha Hancox-Li‘People who believe their choices don’t matter choose poorly.” (10/21/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/disordered-institutions-make-disordered-publics/
- Trump’s $8 Billion Diesel Bailout Pays Farmers for a Problem He Created
Source: Reason
by Tosin Akintola“On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would ‘make $8 billion available for one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs.’ … The $8 billion program is part of a windfall of taxpayer money the Trump administration has sent to farmers as relief for harms caused by the president’s actions. Last December, the USDA sent $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to more than half a million farmers nationwide. Earlier this month, the USDA announced it would provide a record $13.8 billion in gross payments to agricultural producers to cover revenue losses.” (10/20/26)
https://reason.com/2026/10/20/trumps-8-billion-diesel-bailout-pays-farmers-for-a-problem-he-created/
- Statistics with World of Warcraft
Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman“My previous post proposed an economics course built around World of Warcraft. I have much less experience teaching statistics than teaching economics and I suspect the game is less suited for the former than the latter purpose but it does provide quite a lot of opportunities for observing data and trying to infer patterns from it so could be used to both explain and apply statistical inference. And I suspect that, as in the case of economics, application to a world with which the student was familiar and to problems of actual interest to him would have a significant positive effect on attention and understanding.” (10/20/26)
https://daviddfriedman.substack.com/p/statistics-with-world-of-warcraft
- Saving Lives at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon
Source: Indepenent Institute
by Stephen P Halbrook“On October 15, I published a post arguing that true ‘sensitive places’ where guns are banned must have armed protection. The same day, a murderer broke into a ‘gun-free-zone’ school in Oregan and began shooting children and teachers. A dad of two girls at the school just happened to be driving by and grabbed his pistol, rushed into the school, and ‘neutralized’ the killer with several shots. He was a concealed pistol licensee. … the brave community member who entered the school and ended the carnage would have violated the law, but for a ‘choice-of-evils’ justification defense.” (10/20/26)
- Major Roger Marshall Donor Is a Hospital Bandit
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen & Maureen Tkacik“Four months ago, a Kansas-based private equity mogul named Dan Tasset posted on LinkedIn about his admiration for a trusted representative in Congress. ‘I’ve known Senator Roger Marshall for many years and have long appreciated his willingness to engage thoughtfully on healthcare policy issues impacting physicians, patients, and independent care delivery’, Tasset wrote. He mentioned that Sen. Marshall recently met with an administrator from an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) who aimed to improve the Medicare reimbursement system. Tasset’s private equity firm, Nueterra, owns that surgical center, and he and his employee were promoting a bill that would make ASCs more attractive to patients.” (10/21/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/10/21/a-major-roger-marshall-donor-is-a-hospital-bandit/
- Trump’s $5,000 Offer Reveals How Washington Works
Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter Jacobsen“Politicians routinely promise benefits to current voters at future taxpayers’ expense. The president’s offer simply strips away the pretense.” (10/20/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/trumps-5000-offer-reveals-how-washington-works/
- Missouri’s Rules for Plug-In Solar Are out of Proportion to the Risk
Source: Show-Me Institute
by Patrick Tuohey“You can plug a 1,500-watt space heater into your living room wall without asking anyone. Plug in a 1,200-watt solar panel, however, and Missouri treats you like a small power plant. The two aren’t identical, since the panel can push power back into the wiring. But that difference calls for a safety standard, not a permit process built for commercial grade rooftop arrays. Under Missouri’s net-metering law, a panel that feeds power into a home’s wiring is a ‘customer-generator.’ Its owner must file an interconnection application with a wiring diagram, wait for the utility’s approval, and have a qualified electrician or engineer certify the installation. Bright Saver, a nonprofit that sells plug-in solar kits, won’t ship them to Missouri until the law changes. Two bills filed in the 2026 legislative session would have fixed that.” (10/20/26)
- Is It “Rational” To Vote In the Midterms?
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Scott Boykin“Voting is almost never instrumentally rational because we control only one vote, our own, and in an election of any significance, our own vote will make no difference in the result. By ‘instrumental’ rationality, I mean taking a reasonably efficient means of accomplishing one’s ends. It is true that in local elections with a very small electorate, it is conceivable that our vote matters, but in congressional and statewide elections, our votes have only an insignificant impact on the outcome. Furthermore, voting involves some cost. … Instrumental rationality is not a reason to vote, but that does not exhaust the kinds of reasons we may have for voting.” (10/20/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/is-it-rational-to-vote-in-the-midterms
- “Free Money” May Land On You … In More Ways Than One
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“‘A billion here, a billion there,’ the late US Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) mused, ‘and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.’ Government spending is almost always about buying votes, but never more obviously than during campaign season. … Of course, all that faux generosity has to be paid for … and it gets paid for by, at least in part, the same people the ‘free money’ lands on. In order to spend money, the government has to have money. Which means it either taxes you to get the money, or it borrows the money and promises to beat it out of you later (with interest).” (10/20/26)
- JD Vance Is Not Our Guy
Source: Antiwar.com
by Harrison Berger“Vance is often cast as a principled restrainer, privately skeptical of the Iran War. In fact, he has spent the past two years building the case for the war he will soon hope to distance himself from. With the 2028 circus set to begin, as it always does, once next month’s midterms are over, it is worth reviewing Vance’s hawkish record and dispelling the notion that he is the sensible peacemaker he and his surrogates will present him as.” (10/20/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/harrison_berger/2026/10/19/jd-vance-is-not-our-guy
- The Road to Serfdom Runs Through Both Parties
Source: The Daily Economy
by Daniel J Smith“As both major parties embrace government ownership, look to history: socialism and political freedom have never coexisted for long.” (10/20/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-road-to-serfdom-runs-through-both-parties/
- Gods and Gamblers
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders“Blaise Pascal thought of faith as a cosmic wager. If God exists, belief offers eternal bliss and unbelief risks eternal loss. If God does not exist, the believer sacrifices only finite pleasures and possibilities in mortal life. The stakes are asymmetrical: a limited earthly cost weighed against a potentially infinite reward. Pascal thought we ought to wager on God. We cannot know the outcome in advance, but we cannot avoid betting. Among AI researchers and observers, estimates of the risks and rewards vary wildly. Some envision a superintelligence that solves humanity’s greatest problems. Others foresee catastrophe, even extinction. Between these extremes lie countless futures in which AI makes human life better in some respects and worse in others. No one knows the odds. But the stakes are enormous, and the wager is already underway.” (10/20/26)
- The Deep Midterms
Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson“There are two ways of looking at the midterms, now less than three weeks away: One is as a simple referendum on the issues and politicians of the day. The other involves a far deeper conflict of visions (as Thomas Sowell puts it): socialism versus capitalism, intrusive versus limited government, and the destruction of time-honored institutions and traditions versus their preservation and renewal. Rarely in American history have the two parties been so far apart or the choice between them so stark. In brief, Islamist-sympathizing socialism is on the ballot against free-market capitalism and American exceptionalism. The new Islamist-allied socialist Democratic Party is confident, largely because the party holding the White House has increased its share of House seats in a midterm election only three times since 1900. Each of those exceptions arose under unusual circumstances.” (10/20/26)
- The high cost of Trump’s backward fuel policy
Source: The Hill
by Richard L Revesz“Five decades ago, when the United States faced unusually high fuel prices and energy-security concerns from the slowdown of Middle East exports, President Ford successfully urged Congress to pass the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This bipartisan legislation gave the national highway authority the ability to promulgate fuel efficiency standards, which have reduced Americans’ fuel costs while also producing significant environmental and climate change benefits ever since. Now, the United States faces similar concerns with fuel prices and energy security, self-inflicted as a result of President Trump’s decision to attack Iran. But this time, the administration has eviscerated Congress’s solution.” (10/20/26)
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/6158816-fuel-efficiency-rollback-costs/
- Milgram vs. “Power Relations”
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan“Intuitively, we tend to think that power flows from an ability to inflict punishment. Governments have power because they will imprison you or confiscate your property if you break the law. Employers have power because they will fire or demote you if you disobey orders. Teachers have power because they will give you a bad grade if you don’t do your work. Parents have power because they will ground you or take away your allowance if you don’t do what you’re told. What Milgram shows, however, is that this is only part of the story.” (10/20/26)
- France Has to Stand Up or Europe Could Fall
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter“Paris is burning. So is much of France and other places across Europe. What was billed as a ‘student protest’ was soon overrun with communist and Palestinian flags (but I repeat myself), Arafat doilies draped over heads and shoulders, and ‘newly arrived’ Muslims from across the Mediterranean Sea. Unless schools are very different in France, I don’t think we’re dealing with students here. It is, as it is every single time you find violence, the radical left. Crazy, evil leftists willing to blindly throw bricks at police, loot stores, pummel anyone deemed impure and to do it all with a sense of superiority.” (10/20/26)
- The FBI Built Secret AI “Election” Investigation Rules — and Stood Up an “Election Executive” Whose Public Trail Has Since Vanished
Source: Cato Institute
by Patrick G Eddington“Documents obtained by Cato via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal that more than a year before the 2026 midterms, the FBI was quietly building two election-related capabilities at once. The first was a set of internal ‘triggers’ that told field agents when they could investigate AI-generated or ‘synthetic’ political content — rules the Bureau is still keeping secret. The second was an apparently new headquarters post called the ‘FBI Election Executive,’ who stood up in mid-2025 to ‘handle preparations for the 2026 midterm cycle.’ In the months since that ‘Election Executive’ position became public, nearly every public trace of the official who holds it has disappeared — her LinkedIn profile has been taken down, and there is no findable record of her on the FBI’s own website.” (10/20/26)
- Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal could deliver stunning Senate upset
Source: Fox News
by Hugh Hewitt“‘This historic fraud happened under her watch, and suddenly, she’s looking out for Medicaid and SNAP? Sell it to someone else, Peggy.’ With this debate response to Minnesota Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan’s protestations of concern over access to benefits for the very poor, Republican nominee for Senate Michele Tafoya sealed her status as ‘rookie of the year’ in American politics. A longtime NFL broadcast professional, Tafoya demonstrated decades of quick on-camera thinking in her debate last week with Flanagan and combined it with a deft slash at Flanagan’s greatest vulnerability: Flanagan’s apprenticeship as lieutenant governor to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the tidal wave of fraud that swept across Minnesota after COVID-era ‘look-the-other-way’ policies became a feature, not a bug, in Minnesota’s vast system of ‘safety net’ programs.” [editor’s note: At the moment, Flanagan seems to be polling ahead of Tafoya, but not by a lot. It will be about turnout – TLK] (10/20/26)
- Washington Monthly Podcast, 10/21/26
Source: Washington Monthly
“How Trump and MAGA Captured the GOP.” (10/21/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/21/how-trump-and-maga-captured-the-gop/
- The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 10/21/26
Source: The Dispatch
“Economics 101, Live From Tulsa! | Interview: Douglas Holtz-Eakin.” (10/21/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/economics-101-live-from-tulsa-interview-douglas-holtz-eakin/
- LPALive, episode 83
Source: LP Alliance
“Martin SIC and Assistant Treasurer Selection!” (10/20/26)
- The Corbett Report, episode 509
Source: The Corbett Report
“Think Tanks, Stink Tanks!” (10/21/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 10/20/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Netanyahu Discussed ‘Eliminating’ Iran’s Government With Trump, US Airstrike in Somalia, and More.” (10/20/26)
- Politics Politics Politics, 10/20/26
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“WILD Midterm Ads! Libertarian Votes and the Mistresses of JFK (with Andrew Heaton and Laurence Leamer).” (10/20/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/wild-midterm-ads-libertarian-votes
- The Good Fight, 10/20/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“James Marriott on the End of Reading.” (10/20/26)
- Robert Wright on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Scott interviews Robert Wright, author of the book The God Test, about how AI will impact our future. They discuss the threats AI poses to our safety and our economies. And they talk about the right and wrong ways to minimize those risks without sacrificing the genuine benefits offered by the technology.” (10/20/26)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/10-16-26-robert-wright-on-the-threats-posed-by-ai/
- Pink Flame of Liberty, 10/20/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Let’s Watch the LNC Meeting 10/20/26 (Martin SIC Report).” (10/20/26)
- The Watch With Radley Balko, 10/20/26
Source: The Watch With Radley Balko
“Her fiancé and caretaker was murdered by a far-right extremist. Then Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pardoned the killer. My interview with Whitney Mitchell.” (10/20/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/her-fiance-and-caretaker-was-murdered
- New Yorkers Don’t Compost. Will They Be Fined Into Compliance?
Source: Reason
“The city mandates composting, but New Yorkers don’t like to be told what to do with their garbage—and don’t seem all that clear on the rules in the first place.” (10/20/26)
https://reason.com/video/2026/10/20/new-yorkers-dont-compost-will-they-be-fined-into-compliance/
- Advisory Opinions, 10/20/26
Source: The Dispatch
“A Constitutional Crisis Over a Golf Course.” (10/20/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/a-constitutional-crisis-over-a-golf-course/
- Show-Me Institute Podcast, 10/20/26
Source: Show-Me Institute
“Socialism, Chavez, and the Collapse of Venezuela with Jim Epstein.” (10/20/26)
- Rising, 10/20/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on a proposed deal to lower the tensions between Ukraine and Russia.” (10/20/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 10/20/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Hits Brutal New Polling Low—and GOP Leaks Grow Truly Humiliating.” (10/20/26)
- Law & Liberty Podcast, 10/20/26
Source: Law & Liberty
“A Humane American Conservatism with Michael Lucchese, hosted by James M. Patterson.” (10/20/26)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/a-humane-american-conservatism/
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/20/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos joins me to talk about the challenges of maintaining one’s principles and character in a time when everything seems negotiable.” (10/20/26)
- Cato Weekly Podcast, 10/20/26
Source: Cato Institute
“Trading Democracy for Oil? The Venezuela-US Deal.” (10/20/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-weekly-podcast/trading-democracy-oil-venezuela-us-deal
- Capital Record, episode 329
Source: National Review
“Hopelessness and Social Unrest.” (10/20/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/hopelessness-and-social-unrest/
- Trump Watch, 10/20/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Mid-Terms Won’t Make Any Difference.” (10/20/26)